Question
A patient has recently experienced reduced appetite, aversion to greasy foods, and high fever. After diagnosis as a hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) positive patient, they are considering having a child and inquiring about the possibility.
Answer
Hello, patients with hepatitis B surface antigen positivity can consider pregnancy after prenatal screening, including HBVDNA testing and liver function, ultrasound checks. If the results show negative HBVDNA and normal liver function, pregnancy can be considered. It is also recommended to implement mother-to-child transmission prevention measures, which include monthly injections of high-titer hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) at 200 units from the 7th to 9th months of pregnancy. Additionally, if the HBVDNA quantitative value is below 1.00E+03, high-titer HBIG and hepatitis B vaccine can be administered to the infant within 24 hours of birth, followed by another dose of hepatitis B vaccine at one month and six months after birth to complete the mother-to-child transmission prevention. The success rate of prevention can reach over 90%. Prenatal guidance: Hepatitis B positive mothers should avoid breastfeeding due to the potential presence of hepatitis B virus in breast milk and concerns about insufficient breast milk nutrition that could exacerbate the mother’s condition. Some experts support breastfeeding by hepatitis B mothers, but long-term studies have found that breast milk nutrition is insufficient and breastfeeding is not recommended to ensure infant nutrition and avoid accelerating the mother’s condition.